ct

ct

ct
Main user interface for the Common Test framework.

Main user interface for the Common Test framework.

This module implements the command-line interface for running tests and basic functions for Common Test case issues, such as configuration and logging.

The framework stores configuration values in a property list usually named Config. The list contains information about the test run added by the framework itself and may also contain user-provided values. The configuration is passed into individual test cases as well as support functions if defined.

Possible configuration variables include:

Warning

The ?config macro, used to receive individual config values from the Config property list, is deprecated. Please use proplists:get_value/2-3 instead.

A name and association to configuration data introduced through a require statement, or a call to ct:require/2, for example, ct:require(mynodename,{node,[telnet]}).

Types

Reason = term()
ErrorReason = no_testcase_running | parallel_group

Aborts the currently executing test case. The user must know with certainty which test case is currently executing. The function is therefore only safe to call from a function that has been called (or synchronously invoked) by the test case.

Reason, the reason for aborting the test case, is printed in the test case log.

Types

Callback = atom()
Config = string()
Reason = term()

Loads configuration variables using the specified callback module and configuration string. The callback module is to be either loaded or present in the code path. Loaded configuration variables can later be removed using function ct:remove_config/2.

Types

Comment = string()
Reason =
    {multiple_cases_running, TestCases} |
    'enable break with release_shell option'
TestCases = [atom()]

Cancels any active timetrap and pauses the execution of the current test case until the user calls function continue/0. The user can then interact with the Erlang node running the tests, for example, for debugging purposes or for manually executing a part of the test case. If a parallel group is executing, ct:break/2 is to be called instead.

A cancelled timetrap is not automatically reactivated after the break, but must be started explicitly with ct:timetrap/1.

In order for the break/continue functionality to work, Common Test must release the shell process controlling stdin. This is done by setting start option release_shell to true. For details, see section Running Tests from the Erlang Shell or from an Erlang Program in the User's Guide.

Types

TestCase = atom()
Comment = string()
Reason =
    'test case not running' |
    'enable break with release_shell option'

Works the same way as ct:break/1, only argument TestCase makes it possible to pause a test case executing in a parallel group. Function ct:continue/1 is to be used to resume execution of TestCase.

For details, see ct:break/1.

Types

ExclCategories = [atom()]
ListOfStrings = [string()]

Returns and purges the list of text strings buffered during the latest session of capturing printouts to stdout. Log categories that are to be ignored in ListOfStrings can be specified with ExclCategories. If ExclCategories = [], no filtering takes place.

See also ct:capture_start/0, ct:capture_stop/0, ct:log/3.

Types

Comment = term()

Prints the specified Comment in the comment field in the table on the test suite result page.

If called several times, only the last comment is printed. The test case return value {comment,Comment} overwrites the string set by this function.

Types

Format = string()
Args = list()

Prints the formatted string in the comment field in the table on the test suite result page.

Arguments Format and Args are used in a call to io_lib:format/2 to create the comment string. The behavior of comment/2 is otherwise the same as function ct:comment/1.

This function must be called to continue after a test case (not executing in a parallel group) has called function ct:break/1.

Types

TestCase = atom()

This function must be called to continue after a test case has called ct:break/2. If the paused test case, TestCase, executes in a parallel group, this function, rather than continue/0, must be used to let the test case proceed.

Types

EncryptFileName = TargetFileName = string()
Reason = term()

Decrypts EncryptFileName, previously generated with ct:encrypt_config_file/2,3. The original file contents is saved in the target file. The encryption key, a string, must be available in a text file named .ct_config.crypt, either in the current directory, or the home directory of the user (it is searched for in that order).

Types

EncryptFileName = TargetFileName = string()
KeyOrFile = {key, string()} | {file, string()}
Reason = term()

Decrypts EncryptFileName, previously generated with ct:encrypt_config_file/2,3. The original file contents is saved in the target file. The key must have the same value as that used for encryption.

Types

SrcFileName = EncryptFileName = string()
Reason = term()

Encrypts the source configuration file with DES3 and saves the result in file EncryptFileName. The key, a string, must be available in a text file named .ct_config.crypt, either in the current directory, or the home directory of the user (it is searched for in that order).

For information about using encrypted configuration files when running tests, see section Encrypted Configuration Files in the User's Guide.

For details on DES3 encryption/decryption, see application Crypto.

Types

SrcFileName = EncryptFileName = string()
KeyOrFile = {key, string()} | {file, string()}
Reason = term()

Encrypts the source configuration file with DES3 and saves the result in the target file EncryptFileName. The encryption key to use is either the value in {key,Key} or the value stored in the file specified by {file,File}.

For information about using encrypted configuration files when running tests, see section Encrypted Configuration Files in the User's Guide.

For details on DES3 encryption/decryption, see application Crypto.

Types

Reason = term()

Terminates a test case with the specified error Reason.

Types

Format = io:format()
Args = [term()]

Terminates a test case with an error message specified by a format string and a list of values (used as arguments to io_lib:format/2).

Types

Required =
    KeyOrName | {KeyOrName, SubKey} | {KeyOrName, SubKey, SubKey}
KeyOrName = SubKey = atom()
Default = term()
Opts = [Opt]
Opt = element | all
ValueOrElement = term() | Default

Reads configuration data values.

Returns the matching values or configuration elements, given a configuration variable key or its associated name (if one has been specified with ct:require/2 or a require statement).

Example:

Given the following configuration file:

 {unix,[{telnet,IpAddr},
        {user,[{username,Username},
               {password,Password}]}]}.

Then:

 ct:get_config(unix,Default) -> [{telnet,IpAddr}, 
  {user, [{username,Username}, {password,Password}]}]
 ct:get_config({unix,telnet},Default) -> IpAddr
 ct:get_config({unix,user,username},Default) -> Username
 ct:get_config({unix,ftp},Default) -> Default
 ct:get_config(unknownkey,Default) -> Default

If a configuration variable key has been associated with a name (by ct:require/2 or a require statement), the name can be used instead of the key to read the value:

 ct:require(myuser,{unix,user}) -> ok.
 ct:get_config(myuser,Default) -> [{username,Username}, {password,Password}]

If a configuration variable is defined in multiple files, use option all to access all possible values. The values are returned in a list. The order of the elements corresponds to the order that the configuration files were specified at startup.

If configuration elements (key-value tuples) are to be returned as result instead of values, use option element. The returned elements are then on the form {Required,Value}.

See also ct:get_config/1, ct:get_config/2, ct:require/1, ct:require/2.

Types

EvMgrRef = atom()

Gets a reference to the Common Test event manager. The reference can be used to, for example, add a user-specific event handler while tests are running.

Example:

 gen_event:add_handler(ct:get_event_mgr_ref(), my_ev_h, [])

Returns the command used to start this Erlang instance. If this information could not be found, the string "no_prog_name" is returned.

Types

TestStatus = [StatusElem]
StatusElem =
    {current, TestCaseInfo} |
    {successful, Successful} |
    {failed, Failed} |
    {skipped, Skipped} |
    {total, Total}
TestCaseInfo = {Suite, TestCase} | [{Suite, TestCase}]
Suite = TestCase = atom()
Successful = Failed = integer()
Skipped = {UserSkipped, AutoSkipped}
UserSkipped = AutoSkipped = Total = integer()
Reason = term()

Returns status of ongoing test. The returned list contains information about which test case is executing (a list of cases when a parallel test case group is executing), as well as counters for successful, failed, skipped, and total test cases so far.

Types

Handle = handle()
TargetName = target_name()
Reason = term()

Returns the name of the target that the specified connection belongs to.

Types

TestSpecTerms = [{Tag, Value}]
Tag = atom()
Value = [term()]

Gets a list of all test specification terms used to configure and run this test.

Types

Tags = [Tag] | Tag
Tag = atom()
TestSpecTerms = [{Tag, Value}] | {Tag, Value}
Value = [{Node, term()}] | [term()]
Node = atom()

Reads one or more terms from the test specification used to configure and run this test. Tag is any valid test specification tag, for example, label, config, or logdir. User-specific terms are also available to read if option allow_user_terms is set.

All value tuples returned, except user terms, have the node name as first element.

To read test terms, use Tag = tests (rather than suites, groups, or cases). Value is then the list of all tests on the form [{Node,Dir,[{TestSpec,GroupsAndCases1},...]},...], where GroupsAndCases = [{Group,[Case]}] | [Case].

Types

Time = integer() | infinity
Scaling = boolean()
ScaleVal = integer()

Reads information about the timetrap set for the current test case. Scaling indicates if Common Test will attempt to compensate timetraps automatically for runtime delays introduced by, for example, tools like cover. ScaleVal is the value of the current scaling multiplier (always 1 if scaling is disabled). Note the Time is not the scaled result.

Types

Category = default | atom()
Level = integer()

This function returns the verbosity level for the specified logging category. See the User's Guide for details. Use the value default to read the general verbosity level.

Types

Opts = [Opt]
Opt =
    {config, ConfigFiles} |
    {event_handler, Modules} |
    {decrypt, KeyOrFile}
ConfigFiles = [ConfigFile]
ConfigFile = string()
Modules = [atom()]
KeyOrFile = {key, Key} | {file, KeyFile}
Key = KeyFile = string()
Reason = term()

Installs configuration files and event handlers.

Run this function once before the first test.

Example:

 install([{config,["config_node.ctc","config_user.ctc"]}])

This function is automatically run by program ct_run.

Types

Telnet = term()
Env = {Key, Value}
Key = Value = string()

Performs command listenv on the specified Telnet connection and returns the result as a list of key-value pairs.

Types

Category = atom() | integer() | string()
Importance = integer()
Format = string()
FormatArgs = list()
Opts = [Opt]
Opt = {heading, string()} | no_css | esc_chars

Prints from a test case to the log file.

This function is meant for printing a string directly from a test case to the test case log file.

Default Category is default, default Importance is ?STD_IMPORTANCE, and default value for FormatArgs is [].

For details on Category, Importance and the no_css option, see section Logging - Categories and Verbosity Levels in the User's Guide.

Common Test will not escape special HTML characters (<, > and &) in the text printed with this function, unless the esc_chars option is used.

Types

Reason = term()

If the test is started with option create_priv_dir set to manual_per_tc, in order for the test case to use the private directory, it must first create it by calling this function.

Types

Name = atom()
Data = term()

Sends an asynchronous notification of type Name with Datato the Common Test event manager. This can later be caught by any installed event manager.

See also gen_event(3).

Types

Category = atom() | integer() | string()
Importance = integer()
Format = string()
FormatArgs = list()
Opts = [Opt]
Opt = {heading, string()} | no_css

Prints and logs from a test case.

This function is meant for printing a string from a test case, both to the test case log file and to the console.

Default Category is default, default Importance is ?STD_IMPORTANCE, and default value for FormatArgs is [].

For details on Category and Importance, see section Logging - Categories and Verbosity Levels in the User's Guide.

Note that special characters in the text (<, > and &) will be escaped by Common Test before the text is printed to the log file.

Types

Data = [string()]
Heading = tuple()
Table = [tuple()]

Parses the printout from an SQL table and returns a list of tuples.

The printout to parse is typically the result of a select command in SQL. The returned Table is a list of tuples, where each tuple is a row in the table.

Heading is a tuple of strings representing the headings of each column in the table.

Types

Category = atom() | integer() | string()
Importance = integer()
Format = string()
FormatArgs = list()
Opts = [Opt]
Opt = {heading, string()}

Prints from a test case to the console.

This function is meant for printing a string from a test case to the console.

Default Category is default, default Importance is ?STD_IMPORTANCE, and default value for FormatArgs is [].

For details on Category and Importance, see section Logging - Categories and Verbosity Levels in the User's Guide.

Types

Required =
    KeyOrName | {KeyOrName, SubKey} | {KeyOrName, SubKey, SubKey}
KeyOrName = SubKey = atom()
ValueOrElement = Reason = term()

Reloads configuration file containing specified configuration key.

This function updates the configuration data from which the specified configuration variable was read, and returns the (possibly) new value of this variable.

If some variables were present in the configuration, but are not loaded using this function, they are removed from the configuration table together with their aliases.

Types

TestProcs = [{pid(), GL}]
GL = SharedGL = pid()
OtherGLs = [pid()]

This function will return the identity of test- and group leader processes that are still running at the time of this call. TestProcs are processes in the system that have a Common Test IO process as group leader. SharedGL is the central Common Test IO process, responsible for printing to log files for configuration functions and sequentially executing test cases. OtherGLs are Common Test IO processes that print to log files for test cases in parallel test case groups.

The process information returned by this function may be used to locate and terminate remaining processes after tests have finished executing. The function would typically by called from Common Test Hook functions.

Note that processes that execute configuration functions or test cases are never included in TestProcs. It is therefore safe to use post configuration hook functions (such as post_end_per_suite, post_end_per_group, post_end_per_testcase) to terminate all processes in TestProcs that have the current group leader process as its group leader.

Note also that the shared group leader (SharedGL) must never be terminated by the user, only by Common Test. Group leader processes for parallel test case groups (OtherGLs) may however be terminated in post_end_per_group hook functions.

Types

Callback = atom()
Config = string()

Removes configuration variables (together with their aliases) that were loaded with specified callback module and configuration string.

Types

Required = Key | {Key, SubKeys} | {Key, SubKey, SubKeys}
Key = atom()
SubKeys = SubKey | [SubKey]
SubKey = atom()
Reason = term()

Checks if the required configuration is available. Arbitrarily deep tuples can be specified as Required. Only the last element of the tuple can be a list of SubKeys.

Example 1. Require the variable myvar:

 ok = ct:require(myvar).

In this case the configuration file must at least contain:

 {myvar,Value}.

Example 2. Require key myvar with subkeys sub1 and sub2:

 ok = ct:require({myvar,[sub1,sub2]}).

In this case the configuration file must at least contain:

 {myvar,[{sub1,Value},{sub2,Value}]}.

Example 3. Require key myvar with subkey sub1 with subsub1:

 ok = ct:require({myvar,sub1,sub2}).

In this case the configuration file must at least contain:

 {myvar,[{sub1,[{sub2,Value}]}]}.

See also ct:get_config/1, ct:get_config/2, ct:get_config/3, ct:require/2.

Types

Name = atom()
Required = Key | {Key, SubKey} | {Key, SubKey, SubKey}
SubKey = Key
Key = atom()
Reason = term()

Checks if the required configuration is available and gives it a name. The semantics for Required is the same as in ct:require/1 except that a list of SubKeys cannot be specified.

If the requested data is available, the subentry is associated with Name so that the value of the element can be read with ct:get_config/1,2 provided Name is used instead of the whole Required term.

Example:

Require one node with a Telnet connection and an FTP connection. Name the node a:

 ok = ct:require(a,{machine,node}).

All references to this node can then use the node name. For example, a file over FTP is fetched like follows:

 ok = ct:ftp_get(a,RemoteFile,LocalFile).

For this to work, the configuration file must at least contain:

 {machine,[{node,[{telnet,IpAddr},{ftp,IpAddr}]}]}.
Note

The behavior of this function changed radically in Common Test 1.6.2. To keep some backwards compatibility, it is still possible to do:
ct:require(a,{node,[telnet,ftp]}).
This associates the name a with the top-level node entry. For this to work, the configuration file must at least contain:
{node,[{telnet,IpAddr},{ftp,IpAddr}]}.

See also ct:get_config/1, ct:get_config/2, ct:get_config/3, ct:require/1.

Types

TestDirs = TestDir | [TestDir]
TestDir = string()
Result = [TestResult] | {error, Reason}
TestResult = Reason = term()

Runs all test cases in all suites in the specified directories.

See also ct:run/3.

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = atom()
Result = [TestResult] | {error, Reason}
TestResult = Reason = term()

Runs all test cases in the specified suite.

See also ct:run/3.

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = atom()
Cases = atom() | [atom()]
Result = [TestResult] | {error, Reason}
TestResult = Reason = term()

Runs the specified test cases.

Requires that ct:install/1 has been run first.

Suites (*_SUITE.erl) files must be stored in TestDir or TestDir/test. All suites are compiled when the test is run.

Types

Opts = [OptTuples]
OptTuples =
    {dir, TestDirs} |
    {suite, Suites} |
    {group, Groups} |
    {testcase, Cases} |
    {spec, TestSpecs} |
    {join_specs, boolean()} |
    {label, Label} |
    {config, CfgFiles} |
    {userconfig, UserConfig} |
    {allow_user_terms, boolean()} |
    {logdir, LogDir} |
    {silent_connections, Conns} |
    {stylesheet, CSSFile} |
    {cover, CoverSpecFile} |
    {cover_stop, boolean()} |
    {step, StepOpts} |
    {event_handler, EventHandlers} |
    {include, InclDirs} |
    {auto_compile, boolean()} |
    {abort_if_missing_suites, boolean()} |
    {create_priv_dir, CreatePrivDir} |
    {multiply_timetraps, M} |
    {scale_timetraps, boolean()} |
    {repeat, N} |
    {duration, DurTime} |
    {until, StopTime} |
    {force_stop, ForceStop} |
    {decrypt, DecryptKeyOrFile} |
    {refresh_logs, LogDir} |
    {logopts, LogOpts} |
    {verbosity, VLevels} |
    {basic_html, boolean()} |
    {esc_chars, boolean()} |
    {keep_logs, KeepSpec} |
    {ct_hooks, CTHs} |
    {enable_builtin_hooks, boolean()} |
    {release_shell, boolean()}
TestDirs = [string()] | string()
Suites = [string()] | [atom()] | string() | atom()
Cases = [atom()] | atom()
Groups = GroupNameOrPath | [GroupNameOrPath]
GroupNameOrPath = [atom()] | atom() | all
TestSpecs = [string()] | string()
Label = string() | atom()
CfgFiles = [string()] | string()
UserConfig =
    [{CallbackMod, CfgStrings}] | {CallbackMod, CfgStrings}
CallbackMod = atom()
CfgStrings = [string()] | string()
LogDir = string()
Conns = all | [atom()]
CSSFile = CoverSpecFile = string()
StepOpts = [StepOpt]
StepOpt = config | keep_inactive
EventHandlers = EH | [EH]
EH = atom() | {atom(), InitArgs} | {[atom()], InitArgs}
InitArgs = [term()]
InclDirs = [string()] | string()
CreatePrivDir = auto_per_run | auto_per_tc | manual_per_tc
M = N = integer()
DurTime = HHMMSS
HHMMSS = string()
StopTime = YYMoMoDDHHMMSS | HHMMSS
YYMoMoDDHHMMSS = string()
ForceStop = skip_rest | boolean()
DecryptKeyOrFile = {key, DecryptKey} | {file, DecryptFile}
DecryptKey = DecryptFile = string()
LogOpts = [LogOpt]
LogOpt = no_nl | no_src
VLevels = VLevel | [{Category, VLevel}]
VLevel = integer()
Category = atom()
KeepSpec = all | integer() >= 1
CTHs = [CTHModule | {CTHModule, CTHInitArgs}]
CTHModule = atom()
CTHInitArgs = term()
Result =
    {Ok, Failed, {UserSkipped, AutoSkipped}} |
    TestRunnerPid |
    {error, Reason}
Ok = Failed = UserSkipped = AutoSkipped = integer()
TestRunnerPid = pid()
Reason = term()

Runs tests as specified by the combination of options in Opts. The options are the same as those used with program ct_run, see Run Tests from Command Line in the ct_run manual page.

Here a TestDir can be used to point out the path to a Suite. Option testcase corresponds to option -case in program ct_run. Configuration files specified in Opts are installed automatically at startup.

TestRunnerPid is returned if release_shell == true. For details, see ct:break/1.

Reason indicates the type of error encountered.

Types

TestSpec = [term()]
Result =
    {Ok, Failed, {UserSkipped, AutoSkipped}} | {error, Reason}
Ok = Failed = UserSkipped = AutoSkipped = integer()
Reason = term()

Runs a test specified by TestSpec. The same terms are used as in test specification files.

Reason indicates the type of error encountered.

Types

Category = default | atom()
Level = integer()

Use this function to set, or modify, the verbosity level for a logging category. See the User's Guide for details. Use the value default to set the general verbosity level.

Types

Time =
    {hours, Hours} |
    {minutes, Mins} |
    {seconds, Secs} |
    Millisecs | infinity
Hours = Mins = Secs = integer()
Millisecs = integer() | float()

This function, similar to timer:sleep/1 in STDLIB, suspends the test case for a specified time. However, this function also multiplies Time with the multiply_timetraps value (if set) and under certain circumstances also scales up the time automatically if scale_timetraps is set to true (default is false).

Starts Common Test in interactive mode.

From this mode, all test case support functions can be executed directly from the Erlang shell. The interactive mode can also be started from the OS command line with ct_run -shell [-config File...].

If any functions (for example, Telnet or FTP) using "required configuration data" are to be called from the Erlang shell, configuration data must first be required with ct:require/2.

Example:

 > ct:require(unix_telnet, unix).
 ok
 > ct_telnet:open(unix_telnet).
 {ok,<0.105.0>}
 > ct_telnet:cmd(unix_telnet, "ls .").
 {ok,["ls","file1  ...",...]}

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = Case = atom()
Result = term()

Steps through a test case with the debugger.

See also ct:run/3.

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = Case = atom()
Opts = [Opt]
Opt = config | keep_inactive
Result = term()

Steps through a test case with the debugger. If option config has been specified, breakpoints are also set on the configuration functions in Suite.

See also ct:run/3.

Types

Name = atom()
Data = term()

Sends a synchronous notification of type Name with Data to the Common Test event manager. This can later be caught by any installed event manager.

See also gen_event(3).

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = atom()
Testcases = list()
Reason = term()

Returns all test cases in the specified suite.

Types

Time =
    {hours, Hours} |
    {minutes, Mins} |
    {seconds, Secs} |
    Millisecs | infinity | Func
Hours = Mins = Secs = Millisecs = integer()
Func = {M, F, A} | function()
M = F = atom()
A = list()

Sets a new timetrap for the running test case.

If the argument is Func, the timetrap is triggered when this function returns. Func can also return a new Time value, which in that case is the value for the new timetrap.

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = atom()
SuiteUserData = [term()]
Reason = term()

Returns any data specified with tag userdata in the list of tuples returned from suite/0.

Types

TestDir = string()
Suite = atom()
GroupOrCase = {group, GroupName} | atom()
GroupName = atom()
TCUserData = [term()]
Reason = term()

Returns any data specified with tag userdata in the list of tuples returned from Suite:group(GroupName) or Suite:Case().

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